Improved railwayi freight-car



' w. A. 'eoonwm'. Railroad Freight-Car.

Patented Feb. 23, 1869-- lay- N-PETERS, PHOTO-UTROGRAPNER. WASHINGTON D c WILLIAM A. GOODWIN, OF NEWTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

' Letters Patent No. 87,098, dated February 23, 1869.

IMPROVED RAILWAY FREIGHT-CAR.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the lame.

To all persons to whom these presents may come:

" fol-ding shelter to a brakeman, while the cars may be in motion on a railway, except it be by a platform, for him to stand on, and a roof projecting from the end of the carriage, such being little or no protection against blasts of wind, or rain, or snow blown laterally, with respect to the carriage. 'Ihe brakeman usually sits or stands on'the roof of the carriage, above which the brake-operating shaft and wheel are extended.

In carrying out my improvement, I form, within each end of he carriage, a chamber, open in front and at top, and provided with a seat and a sliding roof, or cover. The sides of such chamber I extend a short distance above the roof, and make, in the front of each side so extended above the roof, a window, or opening, to enable a person, while seated in the chamber, and covered by the slide-roof, to see laterally out of such chamber. I also arrange the brake-operating shaft and wheel in front of the mouth of such chamber, or so contiguous thereto, as to enable a brakeman, while within the chamber, to lay hold of and turn the wheel.

In the drawings A denotes the body of a freight-car.

B B, the brakeman-ohambers in its ends,

0 O are the brake-operating wheels, and

D D, their shafts.

Each chamber has a seat, as shown at I.

The projections of. the opposite sides, or walls of each brakeman-chamber above the roof, are shown at a a, each having a WlDdOW,- or opening, b, formed through .it.

The upper edge of each of the said projections slopes,

or inclines, and supports a hatch, or cover, E, fastened to the projections, so as to be capable of sliding thereon, in order to' either cover the chamber or uncover it, more or less, as may berequired, the projections a a being extended back on the roof, and from the chamber, a sufficient distance to enable the hatch, or cover to be so operated.

During stormy, or cold weather, the brakeman of the car will generally take to the rearmost chamber for shelter, and, if desirable, there may be a narrow platform, G, extending about the sides and ends of the car, and leading from one shelter-chamber to the other, there being on the roof at hand-rail, H, for the brake- 'man to hold to, or grasp, and support himself while passing along from one end of the car'to the other.

The shelter-chamber, or cab, as it may be termed, may be at the middle of the end, or it may be at one corner of the car, as shown in the drawings.

I am aware that it is not new tov apply a sheltercah, or chamber, to the rear platform on the end of the boiler of a steam-carriage, or locomotive.

I am also aware that it is not new to apply to the roof of a carriagea stationary, or a folding board, and therefore I make no claim thereto, my invention having special reference to freight-cars, or carriages.

The peculiar arrangement which constitutes my improvement, not only involves the extension of the chamber, both. above and below the roof of the car, and the opening of suchohamber out of one end of the car, but the application, to the parts extended above the roof, of a movable hatch, or cover, to operate substantially as described; such, when moved off the top ofthe chamber, allowing a person, when in the chamber, to stand up on the seat thereof, or readily mount upon the roof, as occasion may require.

I claim, in a freight-car, the said arrangement of a shelter-cab, or chamber, and a movable cover, or hatch thereto, relatively, to the end and roof of the car, in

manner substantially as explained.

WM. A. GOODWIN.

Witnesses: I

R. H. EDDY, SAMUEL N. PIPER. 

